The pil

In the PIL filed by advocates Nadeem Qadri, AR Hanjura, and a law student Syed Musaib, intervention of court has been sought to address the stray dog problem in Srinagar city, whose population, according to the SMC, has touched over 1 lakh

The government had constituted an expert committee in June 2012 to suggest ways for controlling the increasing dog population

The committee, in its final report to the High Court, had favoured sterilisation of dogs under Animal Birth Control method

The High Court has now asked an expert committee of Jammu and Kashmir Animal Welfare Board to explore other options and submit a final report

Srinagar, May 30
The Valley’s lone children’s hospital, GB Pant Hospital, has turned to people for seeking financial avenues to install drinking water facilities at the hospital. The hospital management cites insufficient budget as a reason for installing adequate drinking water facilities.

Deputy Medical Superintendent, GB Pant Hospital, Dr Muhammad Salim Khan, said the hospital had requested the Government Medical College administration for four units of water coolers along with water filters, but owing to limited budget, only one unit was provided to the GB Pant Hospital.

Dr Khan is now making fervent public appeals to the people for donating money so that the remaining three units of water coolers are installed on the hospital premises. The price of each water cooler and water purifier system is estimated to be around Rs 1 lakh.

“Those interested in making any possible donations can contact me on phone or message me on Facebook,” Dr Khan said. The appeals have been even made on the hospital’s Facebook page. The appeal has evoked a mixed response from people.

“Why should people pay out of their pockets for installing government machinery? Is the government incapable of that? We are paying taxes,” said Sajad Wani, a medico.

People even suggested getting help from the chemical engineering wing of Public Health Engineering (PHE) department for disinfection of water storage tanks which may cost a lot less than the water purifiers.

“Seeking help of other government departments may take longer due to tedious official procedures,” the Deputy Medical Superintendent, GB Pant Hospital, said.

Srinagar, May 30
Six persons including three minors were injured in road accidents across the Kashmir Valley. Police said a motorcycle hit and injured an eight-year-old girl Nighat Irshad, daughter of Irshad Ahmad Mir, a resident of Thakanpur, Balhama, Sopore, on Thursday. The injured was referred to SKIMS, Soura, Srinagar for treatment.

A Tata Mobile driven by Fayaz Ahmad Bhat, resident of Panzin, skid off the road near village Thoun, Ganderbal, and fell into the power canal, resulting in injuries to the driver of the vehicle and Misbah, 6, of Thoun Kangan.

Both the injured were admitted in hospital for treatment. A case has been registered. An unidentified tipper hit and injured an eight-year-old girl Aymah Jan, daughter of Nazir Ahmad, resident of Reshipora Ganderbal, near Town Hall. The injured was referred to SKIMS, Soura, Srinagar, for treatment. A case has been registered.

A tanker driven by Mangta Ram, resident of Lambray, Rajouri, on way from Markoot to Dawar Gurez in Bandipore, met with an accident near police station Gurez, resulting in injuries to the tanker driver. The injured was admitted in Public Health Centre Gurez for treatment. Near Government Higher Secondary, School, Sogam, Kupwara, Syed Ghulam Jeelani, 50, a resident of Cheri Kote, Lolab, Kupwara, was injured. Jeelani was admitted in hospital. — TNS

Srinagar, May 30
One more girl on Thursday recorded her statement in a local court in central Kashmir’s Budgam district against a self-styled dervish, accusing him of sexually exploiting her when she was minor.

The Special Investigation Team of the J&K police has also arrested three female accomplices of Gulzar Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Shamsabad in Budgam district, who was arrested last week by the police on charges of raping four minor girls.

“One more girl has recorded her statement before the court and so far, six girls have recorded statements accusing Bhat of sexual exploitation,” Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Budgam Uttam Chand told the Tribune.

“The girl who recorded her statement today was a minor when she was raped,” he added.

Police sources privy to the investigations said that the girl appeared before the court voluntarily to record her statement along with her three relatives. “More girls will record statements in the coming days against Bhat for sexually exploiting them,” said a police officer.

Bhat, who was pretending to be a mystic, was arrested last week when four of his “students” recorded statements accusing him of sexual exploitation. All the four girls were below the age of 18 and the youngest victim was a 14-year-old girl from south Kashmir.

Handwara, May 30
Relatives of schoolchildren who were drowned in Wular Lake on May 30, 2006, on Thursday protested, demanding action against four accused including three Navy officials.

They said the accused including Mohd Rafiq, principal of Burning Candle School, Ghan Sham, Col Om Prakash and Balram Singh - all Navy officials, were roaming scot-free even after additional sessions judge, in his judgment, found them guilty of negligence leading to the death of 22 schoolchildren and two teachers.

On May 30, 2006, 22 students of Burning Candle School Handwara and two teachers were drowned in Wular Lake after a boat from Navy they were in capsized in Wular lake in Bandipora district. The incident prompted protests in Handwara, which later spread to the Valley for about 10 days.

“All the four accused responsible for the deaths are roaming scot-free even after additional district sessions judge Tariq Naqashbandi, on December 31, 2006, in his judgment, found them guilty of negligence leading to the death of children. We make a fervent appeal to the government to take action against them,” said Gh Mohidin Zargar, chairman of the local committee spearheading the Wular incident.

The protesters later offered tributes to the slain children.

“I lost my two sons in the horrible boat capsize. The accused Navy men used their influence and got away with it. We will fight for justice unless the accused involved in the case are punished under law,” said Farooq Ahmad Bhat from Handwara.

The relatives of victims regretted that the then Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had promised them proceedings in the case in a fast-track court.

“We were silenced by promises of a fast-track court and stern action against the accused by the then government, but till date, the accused continue to remain untouched. Despite clinching evidence of negligence on part of the accused leading to death of innocent children, they have not been arrested,” said Mohd Ramzan Bhat, who lost his two sons to the tragedy.

Relatives of the victims later donated blood to the paediatric ward of District Hospital Handwara. The ward was constructed by the Navy in memory of children who lost their lives in the incident.

“The paediatric ward of the District Hospital is without a specialist doctor. At least one specialist doctor should be posted here so that ailing children are treated effectively and frequent patient referrals to state hospitals are minimised,” said Shams-u-din Tantray.

Anantnag, May 30
The Shopian district here in south Kashmir observed a complete shutdown in remembrance of the 2009 double rape and murder victims Asiya and Nilofer. According to reports, all commercial establishments and shops remained closed throughout Shopian district and vehicular movement was thin. “Schools, colleges and banks also remained closed for the day,” reports said.

On May 29, 2009, 17-year-old Asiya Jan and her pregnant sister-in-law Neelofar, 22, wife of Shakeel Ahmad Ahangar, had left for their orchard at Degan Batpora village of Shopian. The very next day, their bodies were found near Ranbiar nallah. The locals and family members of the victims had alleged that the duo were raped and murdered by men in uniform. The government initially ordered a judicial inquiry and appointed retired Justice Muzaffar Jan as the head of the inquiry commission. A few police officers were arrested. Later, the government handed case to CBI, which gave a clean chit to all the accused and said the two women had drowned in the Ranbir Nallah.

Srinagar May 30
The three-day educational fair, organised by the publishers of the Valley’s youth and educational monthly magazine, The Counsellor, concluded on Thursday. Students from different parts of the Valley benefited from counselling by subject experts during the fair, held at Hotel Pamposh Ground, Regal Chowk.

The fair saw the participation of 28 colleges and universities from across the country. Educational institutes like Baddi University, Sachdeva College of Engineering, Graphic Era University, Sharda University and others were part of the fair and provided valuable inputs to students about various courses offered by them.

“The fair provided ample opportunity to the students of Kashmir to know about various educational institutes outside Kashmir,” said Naik Singh, marketing executive of Arni University.

Students from various parts of Kashmir registered themselves in the fair and many among them enrolled for admission in various courses. “It is a beginning to explore the educational capabilities by Kashmiri students, who are intellectually sound and much concerned about their studies,” said Dr Jitendre Chauhan, Dircetor, All India Institute of Aeronautics.

On the concluding day today, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s political secretary, Tanveer Sadiq visited the fair. Speaking on the occasion, Sadiq said educational fairs were the need of the hour in order to provide exposure to the students of the Valley.

“I think events like these will clear the suspicions in young minds of Kashmir regarding the authenticity of educational institute outside the Valley,” said Sadiq.

“Such events must be frequently organised for the larger benefits of students,” he added.

Students who participated in the fair said they were benefited by the valuable counselling by the experts. “I have enrolled myself for BTech course in Sharda University,” Showkat Hassan, a Class XII student from Shopian district said.

“More such educational fairs should be organised,” he added. 

Srinagar, May 30
Governor NN Vohra has highlighted the crucial role of Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) in the transfer of agricultural technologies to the farmers for the rapid and sustainable advancement of agriculture and its allied sectors, particularly in the remote and difficult areas of the state.

He was speaking at a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, and the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Kashmir, at Raj Bhawan here today. This MoU has been signed for the establishment of two Krishi Vigyan Kendras, one at Budgam in Kashmir, and other at Changthang in Nyoma area of Ladakh district.

The MoU was signed in the presence of the Governor, who is the Chancellor of the University, and Dr S Ayyappan, director general, ICAR.

The Governor thanked Dr S Ayyappan, director general, ICAR, for establishing KVK Nyoma in a very remote area of Changthang, adding that, this would go a long way in advancing the growth of agriculture and livestock and bring about a visible difference in the lives of people. He urged Dr Ayyappan to also urgently consider establishing KVKs in other remote and far-flung areas of the state, such as Gurez and Zanskar, which have a very high potential and required focused attention for the growth of agriculture sector. He observed that such initiatives would immensely benefit the farming community of these areas.

Referring to the loss of Pashmina goats, sheep and cattle in the Changthang area of Ladakh this winter, the Governor stressed the importance of all required measures being taken, including the procurement of feed and fodder, setting up units for bailing the fodder to enable economical transportation, establishment of feed/fodder storage centres in the remote areas and putting in place animal shelters, wherever required in the Ladakh region.

The Governor congratulated the SKUAST-Kashmir and the ICAR for signing the MoU for establishment of two KVKs and assured all possible support of the State Agriculture Department to the ICAR in the implementation of schemes which are aimed at enhancing the growth of agriculture and its allied sectors in the state.

Minister for Agriculture Ghulam Hassan Mir said the KVK being set up at a very high altitude at Changthang should become a role model for other KVKs. He added that we have to develop agriculture and its allied sectors as these have very high potential for economic development and generating employment avenues.

Rigzin Spalbar, chairman, Chief Executive Councillor, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh and Nazir Ahmad Khan, Minister of State for Animal and Sheep Husbandry also spoke on the occasion.

Dr S Ayyappan, Director General, ICAR, New Delhi, observed that it is a historical occasion as the MoU for the establishment of KVKs has been signed in the presence of the Governor, who has been taking keen interest in the functioning of KVKs and the growth of agriculture and its allied sectors in the state. He said the ICAR was working on a mission mode with the objective of “farmer first”. He said whatever was required would be done to make Changthang KVK more customised.

Earlier, Dr Tej Partap, Vice-Chancellor, SKUAST, Kashmir, in his presentation, gave details of the MoU and the role that the KVK at Changthang could play in the growth of agriculture and its allied sectors in the Nyoma area. 

Srinagar, May 30
Often found shooting at the picturesque lakes and gardens of the Valley, veteran Bollywood star Sanjay Khan today made a surprise appearance here at Ganpatyar in old city. Khan had come to attend the inauguration of an exhibition at the Lal Ded Cultural Centre on the banks of river Jhelum. Talking to reporters, he said he was on a private visit.

As Khan has shot for several movies here in the past, he said more Bollywood crews should come here for shooting.

“Kashmir is a beautiful place and Bollywood should come here to shoot. It is the best location for shooting,” he said.

When asked to comment on the alleged involvement of film stars in the Indian Premiere League (IPL) spot-fixing scandal, Khan said Bollywood should not be dragged into the controversy.

Earlier this year in January, Bollywood stars Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone had shot for Ayan Mukherji’s film “Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani” at tourist spots Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Dal Lake. Superstar Sharukh Khan along with Anushka Sharma had also shot for Yash Chopra’s last flick “Jab Tak Hai Jaan” last year.

Shooting for Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif starrer “Big Bang” was cancelled earlier this year due to the situation in the Valley.

While several film and television crews had shot at the Tulip Garden here last month, Kashmir used to be a favourite destination for Bollywood before eruption of militancy more than two decades ago.

Srinagar, May 30
Maintaining its dominance in the northern zone by standing first among all Army Public Schools, the Army Public School (APS) Srinagar continued its trend of securing the top slot among all Valley schools in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE )examination results declared today.

In the CBSE results of 2013, class XII students of the School Shewangni Koul, Ubran-bin-Altaf and Priya Agarwal, secured first three positions in science stream while Bilal Ahmad Chopan, who is studying in the school under Sadbhavana programme of the Indian Army and is a hosteller in the school, attained fourth position in the same stream. In the commerce stream, Abhimanyu Anand, Riyaz Rasool Sheikh and Falak Firdous of class XII of the school were among toppers. In class X, five students of APS, Srinagar, Tavleen Kaur, Mosina Shafi, Arshjot Singh, Insha and Tablish Nisar were among the toppers.

The Deputy GoC 31 sub-area chairman of the school Brig KK Panth and SO of the school Col Sarat Agarwal felicitated the students, principal and staff of the school and wished them all success in future.

Srinagar, May 30
The detention of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Chairman Yasin Malik in Doda yesterday and the subsequent decision to bar him from distributing relief among victims of recent earthquake in Doda, sparked protests here in Srinagar as the supporters and the JKLF activist clashed with police, leaving four policemen injured.

Accusing Congress for scuttling his relief distribution programme in Doda, Malik today called for a complete shutdown on the scheduled arrival of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in Srinagar on June 25.

Malik had arrived in Doda town along with the relief material on Wednesday evening. However, he was not allowed to move out of his hotel by the authorities and was prevented from distributing the relief collected in Kashmir valley among the victims, the JKLF has said.

However, as the news of detention and return of Malik reached Maisuma locality, the stronghold of JKLF in Srinagar, on Thursday morning, Malik’s supporters and JKLF activists came on to the roads amidst the shutdown in the area.

The security forces and the police tried to disperse them by chasing them away. However, the protesters retaliated by pelting stones, in which five policemen were reported to be injured. The security force and the police later used tear smoke shells against the protesters, which heightened the tension in the area.